This module defines some basic input objects used by Pod::Parser when reading and parsing POD text from an input source. The following objects are defined:

package Pod::Paragraph

An object corresponding to a paragraph of POD input text. It may be a plain paragraph, a verbatim paragraph, or a command paragraph (see perlpod).

package Pod::InteriorSequence

An object corresponding to an interior sequence command from the POD input text (see perlpod).

package Pod::ParseTree

An object corresponding to a tree of parsed POD text. Each "node" in a parse-tree (or ptree) is either a text-string or a reference to a Pod::InteriorSequence object. The nodes appear in the parse-tree in the order in which they were parsed from left-to-right.

Each of these input objects are described in further detail in the sections which follow.

This is a class method that constructs a Pod::Paragraph object and returns a reference to the new paragraph object. It may be given one or two keyword arguments. The -text keyword indicates the corresponding text of the POD paragraph. The -name keyword indicates the name of the corresponding POD command, such as head1 or item (it should not contain the = prefix); this is needed only if the POD paragraph corresponds to a command paragraph. The -file and -line keywords indicate the filename and line number corresponding to the beginning of the paragraph

Returns the current filename and line number for the paragraph object. If called in a list context, it returns a list of two elements: first the filename, then the line number. If called in a scalar context, it returns a string containing the filename, followed by a colon (':'), followed by the line number.

This is a class method that constructs a Pod::InteriorSequence object and returns a reference to the new interior sequence object. It should be given two keyword arguments. The -ldelim keyword indicates the corresponding left-delimiter of the interior sequence (e.g. '<'). The -name keyword indicates the name of the corresponding interior sequence command, such as I or B or C. The -file and -line keywords indicate the filename and line number corresponding to the beginning of the interior sequence. If the $ptree argument is given, it must be the last argument, and it must be either string, or else an array-ref suitable for passing to Pod::ParseTree::new (or it may be a reference to an Pod::ParseTree object).

Returns the current filename and line number for the interior sequence object. If called in a list context, it returns a list of two elements: first the filename, then the line number. If called in a scalar context, it returns a string containing the filename, followed by a colon (':'), followed by the line number.

This method performs any necessary cleanup for the interior-sequence. If you override this method then it is imperative that you invoke the parent method from within your own method, otherwise interior-sequence storage will not be reclaimed upon destruction!

This object corresponds to a tree of parsed POD text. As POD text is scanned from left to right, it is parsed into an ordered list of text-strings and Pod::InteriorSequence objects (in order of appearance). A Pod::ParseTree object corresponds to this list of strings and sequences. Each interior sequence in the parse-tree may itself contain a parse-tree (since interior sequences may be nested).

This is a class method that constructs a Pod::Parse_tree object and returns a reference to the new parse-tree. If a single-argument is given, it must be a reference to an array, and is used to initialize the root (top) of the parse tree.

This method gets/sets the top node of the parse-tree. If no arguments are given, it returns the topmost node in the tree (the root), which is also a Pod::ParseTree. If it is given a single argument that is a reference, then the reference is assumed to a parse-tree and becomes the new top node. Otherwise, if arguments are given, they are treated as the new list of children for the top node.

This method gets/sets the children of the top node in the parse-tree. If no arguments are given, it returns the list (array) of children (each of which should be either a string or a Pod::InteriorSequence. Otherwise, if arguments are given, they are treated as the new list of children for the top node.

This method prepends the given text or parse-tree to the current parse-tree. If the first item on the parse-tree is text and the argument is also text, then the text is prepended to the first item (not added as a separate string). Otherwise the argument is added as a new string or parse-tree before the current one.

This method appends the given text or parse-tree to the current parse-tree. If the last item on the parse-tree is text and the argument is also text, then the text is appended to the last item (not added as a separate string). Otherwise the argument is added as a new string or parse-tree after the current one.

This method performs any necessary cleanup for the parse-tree. If you override this method then it is imperative that you invoke the parent method from within your own method, otherwise parse-tree storage will not be reclaimed upon destruction!